First Meeting, A World Slightly Changed

"Greetings, Vice Tower Master."

Watching the cold, elegant woman walk in, Han Tianyi felt a flicker of caution. He leaned forward slightly as he spoke.

The two who had entered were none other than Leng Yaozhu and Na'er. While Han Tianyi had never met Na'er, he was well-acquainted with Leng Yaozhu.

She was the veritable second-in-command of the current Spirit Pagoda, and the Phoenix Family she led ranked second among the Pagoda's factions, trailing only the Qiangu Family.

Leng Yaozhu herself possessed extraordinary strength; not only was she a rare four-word battle armor master, but she had also broken through to the Limit Douluo realm last year, a true combination of beauty and power.

"Elder Han, you are here as well."

Dressed in a red robe, Leng Yaozhu's red lips curled slightly. Her gaze, filled with a faint smile, swept past Han Tianyi before resting on Mu Ye and Jiang Xiu. Her delicate brows arched in slight surprise.

"Long time no see, Your Excellency Body."

"Long time no see, Your Excellency Heavenly Phoenix."

Mu Ye gave a light cough and nodded in reply.

Leng Yaozhu was roughly his age, and while both were four-word battle armor masters, the gap in their cultivation levels was significant.

"Is the Vice Tower Master also here to acquire a spirit soul for a junior?"

Han Tianyi looked at Na'er beside Leng Yaozhu, feeling a bit puzzled. He and Leng Yaozhu were usually at the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, and he had never heard of her having a disciple or junior.

At this moment, however, Na'er's gaze was fixed on Jiang Xiu, her beautiful eyes filled with a hint of scrutiny.

A Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon martial soul? But why is there a faint, peculiar pressure emanating from it...

The geniuses in this human world are as numerous as carp crossing a river, but my Silver Dragon Spear is not to be trifled with either!

Jiang Xiu was also sizing up the two figures, one large and one small. He had seen information on the red-robed, still-charming Leng Yaozhu before, but the moment he laid eyes on the silver-haired girl, the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon martial soul within him began to stir restlessly.

"This is Na'er, my newly accepted disciple. Na'er, quickly greet the seniors."

Leng Yaozhu smiled, her fair hand affectionately stroking Na'er's head.

She had investigated Na'er's background the previous night. It was as Na'er had claimed; she had no parents or family, appearing in Shrek City as if out of thin air.

Leng Yaozhu did not dig deeper, instead luring Na'er into becoming her disciple with a grand meal. After all, Na'er's martial soul was the most impressive she had ever seen—even stronger than that person's.

It would have been inexcusable not to take her on as a disciple.

Hm? Who? Na'er?!

Hearing this, Jiang Xiu's gaze trembled as he looked at the young girl, his thoughts surging in an instant.

Has the Silver Dragon King transformed ahead of schedule in this timeline? Even if she split into Gu Yue and Na'er, shouldn't Na'er have become Yun Ming's disciple instead of Leng Yaozhu's?

Over the past few years, Jiang Xiu had used various methods to confirm the current timeline, as the rapid development of soul guidance communications made much public information accessible.

With Tang Wulin being the same age as me, it seems the Silver Dragon King's transformation hit a snag. Instead of losing her memories, she split directly into two, and this Na'er seems to lean more toward the human side.

Jiang Xiu quickly cleared his thoughts. After all, if the Abyssal Tide could appear in Snow City, he could accept the Silver Dragon King's early transformation; he would simply have to adjust his future plans slightly.

"Hello, my name is Na'er."

By now, Na'er had finished greeting Han Tianyi and Mu Ye. She moved her fair, slender legs beneath her white dress, walked straight up to Jiang Xiu, extended a small hand, and spoke in a crisp voice.

"Hello, my name is Jiang Xiu."

Jiang Xiu reached out to shake her hand, smiling as he spoke.

Regardless of how Na'er had entered the Spirit Pagoda, he certainly couldn't act too suspicious in front of these powerhouses.

"Alright, Na'er, come over and join your master in picking a suitable spirit soul. Elder Han, hurry up and bring out that Dark Night Raven so your junior can absorb it."

Leng Yaozhu waved her hand, and a light screen appeared before her. She spoke with a pointed look at Han Tianyi; she had seen him hiding the Dark Night Raven earlier.

"Hahaha, the Vice Tower Master is absolutely right."

Hearing this, Han Tianyi felt a wave of relief, confirming that Leng Yaozhu wasn't there for the Dark Night Raven.

Although he had already reserved the bird, it hadn't been fused with Jiang Xiu yet, nor had it left this spirit soul pocket dimension. If Leng Yaozhu had taken a fancy to it, he truly wouldn't have known what to do.

"That's right, Uncle-Master, bring it out and let Xiao Xiu try."

Mu Ye said with a hint of anticipation.

"This is work hours; address me by my title."

Han Tianyi glared at Mu Ye, then stopped stalling. He gripped the air with his weathered palm, and silver ripples appeared before him. The previously vanished Dark Night Raven was now trapped within a cage constructed of mental energy, struggling violently with a ferocious look.

"Xiao Xiu, if you've made up your mind, be brave. Your master and I are both right here."

Mu Ye patted Jiang Xiu on the shoulder, his eyes filled with encouragement.

"Right!"

A faint blood-red hue flickered in Jiang Xiu's purple eyes as he walked firmly toward the Dark Night Raven.

"Caw!"

Seeing someone approach, the Dark Night Raven struggled even more fiercely. Dark soul power surged over its body, and its sharp claws struck the cage repeatedly, yet it couldn't damage it in the slightest.

Jiang Xiu raised his left hand, and a tall, dark shadow emerged from behind him, its pair of blood-red eyes staring down at the Dark Night Raven.

"Get ready, let's begin!"

As Han Tianyi's voice fell, a series of obscure and difficult incantations followed. A hexagram array enveloped Jiang Xiu and the Dark Night Raven; this was none other than the Spirit Transmission Ritual.

Ordinary spirit beasts could directly form a Spirit Soul contract with a spirit master because they had already been trained by the Spirit Pagoda.

However, Unyielding Soul Spirits were slightly different. Possessing indomitable wills, they would never willingly form a contract with a human spirit master, thus requiring the assistance of the Spirit Transmission Ritual to build a platform for the contract.

But more importantly, it depended on whether the spirit master could withstand the impact of the Unyielding Soul Spirit.

"Hum!"

A humming sound resonated. The Dark Night Raven seemed to sense something, its blood-red eyes filled with a fierce glint, while its sharp beak and talons were covered in a layer of darkness.

Just then, the Mental Cage imprisoning it vanished. Mysterious golden runes within the hexagram array surged into the bodies of both Jiang Xiu and the beast, drawing them toward each other.

Outside the hexagram array, the four observers wore different expressions, yet all kept their eyes locked on what was happening inside. Mu Ye, in particular, was prepared to intervene at any moment.

"Screech!"

A piercing shriek rang out. Instead of resisting the pull of the golden light, the Dark Night Raven charged straight at Jiang Xiu, its talons—sharp enough to pierce a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear—striking toward the top of his head.

"Shadow Monarch, go!"

Jiang Xiu's expression remained calm, his eyes having already transformed into blood-red pupils that radiated a soul-chilling coldness. Following his low shout, the Shadow Monarch behind him flashed instantly, its massive palm crashing down to cover the Dark Night Raven.